Nettles, 4 ways

 Today, I got to harvest some early spring nettles.  This was my first time, but hopefully not my last.  Again, I forgot to ask before I started to harvest, but as soon as I remembered, I sent some energy out and felt it bounce right back at me with as much joy and enthusiasm as I had.  I will take that as a yes.

I filled a bucket and only when I got home did I stop and think, "Now what do I do?"  I watched a few YouTube videos, found out a way to sauté them with garlic and lemon juice, make fresh tea and confirm that I could make a tincture with fresh nettles.  I wondered because fresh nettles have a sting.  I guess we will find out.  

First thing I did was give them a good rinse.  There were dogs where I harvested, so I discarded anything that looked brown or otherwise damaged.  I heard that one should eat the leaves and not the stems.  I do not know if this is true when making medicine.  I did only use the leaves for the tincture. When I ate them last year, I used the stems too and maybe that is why I didn't love them as much as I wanted to.  I wore some gardening gloves the whole time, but I still got stung a few times.  Not near as bad as a beesting, which I also got today, so no trouble there.  I set a pot to boil as well as my kettle as I knew I wanted both to blanch some for sauteing later as well as some tea.  I have only had tea from dried leaves before today.  Once I finished steeping my tea, I tossed those leaves into the blanched leaves.  I figured it wouldn't hurt.

Fresh leaves in the press pot

Tea! 

My first nettle tincture, nettle leaves and alcohol, simplers method

Nettle bundle, ready for hanging


All hung up and starting to dry

This was a lot of fun.  I have a bag of cleaned nettles in my fridge if I want some fresh tea or want to blanch more.  Time to research recipes!
I can't say that I feel like I am a real herbalist just yet, but I do feel good about actually putting things together, especially since I have felt a bit intimidated by this.

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